DfT says it is still committed to 80mph trial

Published: 27 February 2013

Despite media reports that the secretary wants to scrap the proposal, The Department for Health (DfT) has said it is still intending to trial an 80mph motorway speed limit.
The increase, originally proposed by former transport Secretary Philip Hammond, has featured in media reports suggesting that current transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin is likely to scrap the increase.
However, a DfT spokeswoman said: “Work is continuing to assess the potential economic, safety and environmental impacts of trialing 80mph speed limits across a number of sites on the motorway network. It is important that decisions are made on the basis of sound evidence.”

In a bid to save the economy money, Hammond had claimed that an increase from the current 70mph limit would reduce the amount of congestion of Britain’s roads.
A summary of reponses to the consultation on increasing the speed limit for LGVs on A-roads to 50mph, which closed on 1 February, is expected to be published within three months.
SOURCE: commericialmotor.com